Mick's POV
I knew the second I'd agreed to this crazy idea that I would live to regret it. Beth's confident demeanour as she accepted Josef's offer and reclined leisurely back into the tall leather chair frightened me a little. I wasn't going to enjoy what was about to follow, talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place. Easing myself forward I stood behind the second free chair in the spacious room and glanced down at Beth once more, she was relaxed, smiling brightly over at Josef. All I saw was a snake coiled to strike. She thought she had him, she was wrong. Could he be guilty, sure. The chances of anyone being able to prove anything though, highly unlikely. You don't get to Josef's age and position by becoming sloppy.
"How can I help you?" Josef asked with his own version of a smile, directing a slight eyebrow quirk in my direction. I sighed heavily, deciding I'd rather admire the view from the window than the train wreck that was about to become this conversation. I walked quickly over to the large window and stared out at the city, the lights making it look a lot more attractive at night. Maybe I was just biased.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions" Beth began, I could hear the small smile in her voice as reached into her bag and pulled out her small note book. Poised and ready.
"Sure" The pen that was placed on Josef's desk now took up residency in his hand as he impatiently toyed with the object. I knew he was only humouring Beth for my benefit, a fact I completely appreciated but I would've much rather handled this myself. Knowing Beth, however, she would've just showed up here anyway, demanding to see Josef and asked him questions. Without me here as a referee.
"Alexandra Karzhov" Beth just blurted out the name, not evening attempting to ease into the questioning.
"What about her?" My eyes turned to look at Josef, well what I could see of him from my position behind him; he straightened up in his chair, his back stiffening noticeably as he shifted forward placing both his hands onto the desk.
"So you know her?" Beth continued, again pressing further.
"You already I know I do" Josef sighed, already tiring of her "I don't have time to play your games Miss Turner, what do you want?"
"Did you kill her?" Beth asked, her facial expression now matching the stiffness of her tone.
"Beth!" I stepped back around to the front of Josef's desk and stood behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing lightly, it was hardly subtle but I really needed her to cool off on the hard approach just a little. There was a certain way to deal with Josef Kostan and the direct and in your face approach wasn't always the best. What followed I didn't expect.
"She's dead?" Josef sounded…almost shocked. Not upset, just surprised.
"You didn't know?" I asked, interrupting Beth with another quick squeeze before she fired out another question.
"No" Josef shook his head as sat back in his chair and laughed "But I'll bet I'm top on your hit list and that's why you brought your backup" Josef began speaking to Beth once more, sparing a brief nod in my direction.
"She had bite marks" Beth nodded, pulling a photo out of her bag and sliding it across Josef's desk so it was sitting before him. He didn't look away from Beth to even acknowledge the picture.
"And you're assuming those bites are mine?" Josef asked, sounding more amused than offended.
"She was last seen outside of your office building" Beth added, not budging.
"Again, you're assuming this has anything to do with me why? You do know there are more than 2 vampires in LA Beth, try over 300" I relaxed a little when Josef's mood didn't seem to darken any, I sat in empty seat to Beth's right. I sat on the edge however, just in case.
"You're telling me those bite marks aren't yours? And that Miss Karzhov wasn't here in your office?" The disbelief and mocking in her tone were blatantly obvious and I cringed inwardly at myself once more for even agreeing to help her with this, I'd have some serious apologising to do to Josef once I've managed to drag Beth back home.
"Those aren't mine" Josef smiled over at her with assurance, I was familiar enough with the vampire in front of me to know he was just toying with her now, getting any remnants of entertainment from the encounter that he could. "But she was here, yes."
Even I was surprised by this admission.
"So you were sleeping together?" Beth asked, excited by his admission.
"Why would we be sleeping together?" Josef was obviously curious to hear her answer on this one.
"She was a model" Beth explained, connecting her dots for the rest of us present in the room "You seem rather fond of them, I thought sleeping with models was one of your favourite hobbies"
"It is" Josef shrugged "but not this one"
"If you weren't involved with her then what was she doing in your office?" I couldn't help but ask, now curious myself.
"She was her with someone else" Josef shrugged, his shoulders slouching and his face now appearing bored once more. "If that was all you were here for, to throw out unjust accusations Miss Turner you can leave now" Josef pointed the pen still within his grasp towards the door and pulled his phone from his pocket, choosing to ignore our presence in his office all together.
"Aren't you going to tell us who she was here with?" Beth almost screeched in exasperation. Josef looked up from his cell to glance at Beth for a small second, only to shake his head in a resounding No. I wrapped my hand around Beth's elbow in an attempt to guide her towards the tall lavish doors gently. "Let go Mick, he needs to tell us!" Beth stomped her foot in a refusal to move, behaving like a moody child who'd been informed she wasn't allowed any candy before bedtime.
"Get her out of here Mick" Josef said loudly enough for us both to hear "Or I will call security"
"Move Beth" I dragged her behind me with all the force that was needed, she stomped her feet the whole walk into the elevator.
Sophia's POV
Car journeys feel very lengthy when you spend all of it in the trunk. Even worse when you're in the trunk, blindfolded with some sort of silky restriction around your wrists. Not to mention the slowly thickening blood that was still pouring languidly down my forehead.
I was thrown around the empty compact space with each jerky turn and quick brake, my head hurting more from the thuds against the metal trunk than the earlier knock. It was a big relief when the car finally slowed and then halted all together. That relief quickly transformed into dread as I realised whatever was about to follow couldn't be any better, I was suddenly feeling rather comfortable in the trunk.
I could see some peaks of light from the edges of the poorly fitted blindfold when the trunk was opened, the breeze of cool air that followed was refreshing but the solid grasp that soon surrounded my upper arms was restricting and, at times, painful. In a few mere seconds, maybe even less than that I was hoisted from the dark trunk and thrown carelessly over a hard shoulder. Someone's bone was painfully digging in to my abdomen but rather than complain about it I refocused my energy on trying to fight off the dizzy feeling that was clouding my mind and think, I needed a plan. Anyone that consisted of something other than scream would be helpful. Right now that's all I could come up with, I didn't think it would be helpful, in fact the opposite.
I felt a rush of air around me then heard two, quick and loud knocks. Not good.
My sense's tried to keep up with the adjustments in my surroundings but my head was still trying to clear out some of the fog, I didn't even realise I was going through a doorway until my protruding elbow was struck against a hard surface and a thick accent warned the person carrying me to 'watch the door'. The voice I didn't recognise, at all. The next thing I knew I was being deposited on a something soft; I landed suddenly and mentally kicked myself for the small surprised yelp that escaped me. I received a deep chuckle in return, followed by some more talking. This time in a language I didn't understand. I could hear a door to the side of me shut none too softly as the voices around me quickly quietened down. The sound of shoes tapping against some sort of wooden flooring was all I could hear now, and if I wasn't mistaken they were headed in my general direction.
"Can someone please explain the bleeding human on my new sofa please?!" at least this accent wasn't a foreign one, I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
Thanks to those who reviewed, the fact that other people wanted me to continue my own little musing was rather inspiring. So, cheers!